Collaboration with The NANTEN2 International Star Formation Consortium. Through this collaboration Australia, for a very modest sum, will gain its first direct access to the astronomical facilities of the Atacama plateau, one of the best sites for investigating star formation on the Earth. The project fosters international collaboration, and raises the profile of Australian science and facilities by bringing together astronomers from Australia, Japan, Germany, Korea, Chile and Switzerland.The co ....Collaboration with The NANTEN2 International Star Formation Consortium. Through this collaboration Australia, for a very modest sum, will gain its first direct access to the astronomical facilities of the Atacama plateau, one of the best sites for investigating star formation on the Earth. The project fosters international collaboration, and raises the profile of Australian science and facilities by bringing together astronomers from Australia, Japan, Germany, Korea, Chile and Switzerland.The collaborations formed during this project will enable Australian scientists future access to new front-line telescopes such as the Atacama Large Millimeter Array (ALMA), due to commence operations in 2010. Read moreRead less
High energy neutrino astrophysics together with accretion flows into black holes. Neutrinos are very weakly interacting elementary particles that are opening a new view on astrophysical objects such as supernovae and active galactic nuclei (neutrino astronomy). Studies of astrophysical neutrino production, propagation and terrestrial detection will be made. This will shed light on the astrophysics of the sources as well as probing propagation effects such as neutrino oscillations. A distinct pro ....High energy neutrino astrophysics together with accretion flows into black holes. Neutrinos are very weakly interacting elementary particles that are opening a new view on astrophysical objects such as supernovae and active galactic nuclei (neutrino astronomy). Studies of astrophysical neutrino production, propagation and terrestrial detection will be made. This will shed light on the astrophysics of the sources as well as probing propagation effects such as neutrino oscillations. A distinct programme will study a large discrepancy in the energy balance for matter accreting into a black hole. Previous work of Buzzi and Hines will be extended to investigate whether plasma wave energy carried into the black hole can explain the discrepancy. Read moreRead less
Near-field Cosmology with Globular Clusters. Globular star clusters are the astronomical equivalent of fossils, and as such they provide unique insight into the early epochs of the Universe. This project will establish a link between two world-leading research groups in this area. This Australian-Canadian collaboration will train the next generation of PhD students, create innovative 3D visualisation applications and produce a book on globular clusters.
The First Objects in the Universe. We seek to unravel the mystery behind the emergence of the first objects in the Universe from what are romantically termed the "Dark Ages" - this brief (500 million year) phase marks the transition from a smooth to a clumpy Universe and is the target for billion-dollar technologies such as the Square Kilometer Array and the James Webb Space Telescope. We are establishing linkages between the groups responsible for the most powerful hydrodynamics codes applicab ....The First Objects in the Universe. We seek to unravel the mystery behind the emergence of the first objects in the Universe from what are romantically termed the "Dark Ages" - this brief (500 million year) phase marks the transition from a smooth to a clumpy Universe and is the target for billion-dollar technologies such as the Square Kilometer Array and the James Webb Space Telescope. We are establishing linkages between the groups responsible for the most powerful hydrodynamics codes applicable to simulating the dark ages, in order to implement a new paradigm for star formation and energy feedback which will aid in the interpretation of data from this next generation of major facilities.Read moreRead less
Cosmic evolution of radio galaxies. The proposed research will use the telescopes in Australia in novel configurations to address a key astrophysical problem in modern day cosmology: the role of the central black hole in regulating galaxy growth and evolution. This research project will be a showcase of Australian technical innovation and scientific know-how. At the same time it provides an excellent opportunity to promote and strengthen research links between Australia and India in the field ....Cosmic evolution of radio galaxies. The proposed research will use the telescopes in Australia in novel configurations to address a key astrophysical problem in modern day cosmology: the role of the central black hole in regulating galaxy growth and evolution. This research project will be a showcase of Australian technical innovation and scientific know-how. At the same time it provides an excellent opportunity to promote and strengthen research links between Australia and India in the field of radio astronomy. The exchange of researchers in this field has important strategic value in strengthening Australia's bid to host the next generation international radio telescope, known as the Square Kilometre Array.Read moreRead less
The White Dwarf Luminosity Function and the History of Star Formation in the Galaxy. The numbers of white dwarfs at different brightnesses and colours maps out a continuous record of the star formation history of the Milky Way. Our program seeks to unravel that history using white dwarfs discovered with the SkyMapper Survey and thereby understand how our Milky Way galaxy and other galaxies evolved the form and mixture of sub-structures that we see today. These results will be widely disseminated ....The White Dwarf Luminosity Function and the History of Star Formation in the Galaxy. The numbers of white dwarfs at different brightnesses and colours maps out a continuous record of the star formation history of the Milky Way. Our program seeks to unravel that history using white dwarfs discovered with the SkyMapper Survey and thereby understand how our Milky Way galaxy and other galaxies evolved the form and mixture of sub-structures that we see today. These results will be widely disseminated stimulating interest in the natural sciences amongst the general public and the nation's youth. We will train young researchers in cutting edge science, enhancing skills in data analysis, stellar atmosphere and interior computations and problem solving. Read moreRead less
New technologies for the DRAGONFLY instrument. The vast distances in the galaxy have motivated the long-held dream of astronomers to build telescopes with enough magnification to zoom in on the intimate lives of stars. With a bold new approach, the Dragonfly instrument will make a major step in performance beyond existing technology, delivering images with an unmatched combination of high fidelity and resolution. A number of crucial questions await such a breakthrough in capability. How do stars ....New technologies for the DRAGONFLY instrument. The vast distances in the galaxy have motivated the long-held dream of astronomers to build telescopes with enough magnification to zoom in on the intimate lives of stars. With a bold new approach, the Dragonfly instrument will make a major step in performance beyond existing technology, delivering images with an unmatched combination of high fidelity and resolution. A number of crucial questions await such a breakthrough in capability. How do stars form? What happens as they die? Are planetary systems common? Demonstrated success with this instrument will place it at the forefront of astronomical imaging worldwide, providing a vital element in the case for justifying the next generation of large telescopes.Read moreRead less
ARENA: Antarctic Research, a European Network for Astronomy. With compelling evidence now growing that the world's best astronomical observing sites for optical/infrared astronomy are located on the high plateau of Australia's Antarctic Territory, a race is underway to establish the first major observing facilities there. The European Union have recently funded a network of 20 leading research institutes to coordinate the development of enabling technologies and astronomical programs in Antarct ....ARENA: Antarctic Research, a European Network for Astronomy. With compelling evidence now growing that the world's best astronomical observing sites for optical/infrared astronomy are located on the high plateau of Australia's Antarctic Territory, a race is underway to establish the first major observing facilities there. The European Union have recently funded a network of 20 leading research institutes to coordinate the development of enabling technologies and astronomical programs in Antarctica, with a view to constructing a so-called 'Great Observatory'. Australia's participation in this network ensures continued technology exchange and builds our knowledge base in robotics, harsh-environment engineering and computational fluid dynamics, while creating important new astronomical opportunities.Read moreRead less
The Early Epochs of the Milky Way Galaxy. By determining the chemical compositions and space velocities of the oldest stars in our Milky Way Galaxy, our program seeks to understand the first objects in the Universe and the manner in which the Galaxy formed. Our team will utilize a program that is observing 250,000 Milky Way stars and seek access to the world's largest telescopes to a monetary value of several million dollars - stimulating interest in the natural sciences among the general public ....The Early Epochs of the Milky Way Galaxy. By determining the chemical compositions and space velocities of the oldest stars in our Milky Way Galaxy, our program seeks to understand the first objects in the Universe and the manner in which the Galaxy formed. Our team will utilize a program that is observing 250,000 Milky Way stars and seek access to the world's largest telescopes to a monetary value of several million dollars - stimulating interest in the natural sciences among the general public and the nation's youth. It will train young researchers in cutting-edge science, enhancing skills in data analysis, problem solving, project management, and effective communications.Read moreRead less
The fossil record of galaxy formation. This Australian-led team recently used the Anglo-Australian Telescope to discover large numbers of a new type of very small galaxy in the centres of two galaxy clusters. This project will maintain Australian leadership in this new area of astrophysics research, whilst using the best international expertise and facilities.